Steven Fine
Associate Professor,
Rabbinic Literature and History,
Baltimore Hebrew University
O: 410-578-6936
Fine@bhu.edu
Spring, 2000

Judaism in the Time of Jesus and Hillel
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

This course will survey selected issues in the history of Judaism during the
Second Temple and Talmudic periods (c. 586 B.C.E.-8th century C.E.), with
special stress upon the literature of the Rabbinic Sages. The skills
necessary to treat primary sources from this period as historical evidence
will be emphasized, as will familiarity with scholarly approaches to this
evidence.

Course Requirements:


1. Active participation in each session of this course is vital for your
success. Please complete each reading and written assignment in its
entirety, and be prepared to discuss its contents. Should you miss a class
or misplace an assignment, contact another student to fill you in.
Attendance counts.
2. Midterm and a final examination. The final will be comprehensive,
including identifications and essays. No grades of incomplete will be
issued.
3. 7-10 page review of L. Levine, Judaism and Hellenism in Antiquity.
4. Participation in fieldtrip to the Jewish Museum of Maryland and in BHU's
symposium on Jews and Christians in Ancient Rome, Sunday afternoon, March
___.


Office hours are immediately after class. Contact via E-Mail is preferable
to telephone messages.


Required books are for sale in the bookstore:
S. Fine, ed. Sacred Realm: The Emergence of the Synagogue in the Ancient
World.
N. N. Glatzer, The Schocken Passover Haggadah.
L. H. Schiffman, From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and
Rabbinic Judaism.
N. Scherman, ed. The Complete Artscroll Siddur.
M. Steinberg, As A Driven Leaf.


Suggested:
Bible with Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version
Josephus Flavius: The Complete Works


Other readings will be on reserve in the library. This syllabus is subject
to change in the course of the semester.


Jan. 30. Introduction
Schiffman, ch. 1. Map distributed.
D. Lowenthal, "Fabricating Heritage," in History & Memory vol. 10, no. 1,
posted at http://www.indiana.edu/~iupress/journals/history/ham10-1.html


Feb. 8. Judaism During the Persian Period
Schiffman, ch. 3; Ezra, Nehemiah; Esther, Elephantine materials.


Feb. 15. Elastic session


Feb. 22. The Hellenistic Age.
Schiffman, ch. 4-5. 1 and 2 Macabees; Judith, Additions to the Book of
Esther; Josephus, Antiquities, Book 12, ch. 2; All Josephus materials are
available at http://ccel.wheaton.edu/j/josephus/JOSEPHUS.HTM
Siddur, 112-115, Hanukkah material.


Feb. 29. The Temple. Map due.
Josephus, Antiquities, Book 15, ch. 11; Ecclesiasticus 49-50; last chapter;
Mishnah Bikkurim, ch. 3. Siddur, 30-48, 478; Ritmyer, Reconstructing
Herod's Temple Mount in Jerusalem, pp. 1-22.


Mar. 7. Sectarianism in the Second Commonwealth
Schiffman, ch. 6-7; Josephus, War, book 2, ch. 8, line 119 to the end of
the chapter, pp. 604-608; Antiquities, book 13, ch. 5, line 171 ff., p. 346;
book 18, chapter 1, line 11 ff., 477-478. Commentary on the Book of
Habakkuk, Study and print out all sources listed at
http://server.uofdhigh.k12.mi.us/deadsea/Library/library.html
Explore: http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il/cave/cave1.html


Mar. 28. Midterm. The Jewish-Christian Schism
Schiffman, ch. 8; New Testament: Matthew 1-2, Luke, Acts, Letter to the
Romans; Siddur, 56-57 (middle).


Apr. 4. Revolt and Restoration
Schiffman, ch. 9; Josephus, Jewish War, Book 4-end; The Fathers According
to Rabbi Nathan.


Sunday, Apr. 9. Field trip: Jewish Baltimore. Meet at the Jewish Museum
of Maryland at 1:00, admission: $2.00.


Apr. 11. Mishnah: The New Scripture
Siddur: 544-587; 802-807
Berakhot, ch. 1, 9; Peah, ch. 1; Yoma, ch. 1.
Schiffman, 10-11.


Apr. 18. Formative Judaism Comes of Age
Mishnah Sanhedrin, ch. 1, 10; Yerushalmi Hagigah, ch. 2
Schiffman, ch. 12-13.
Read article on Milton Steinberg in the Encyclopedia Judaica.
Discuss As A Driven Leaf in class.


Apr. 25. Case Study: Passover
Passover Haggadah, all.


May 2. Case Study: The Synagogue in the Land of Israel
Fine, articles by Meyers, Fine, Hachlili
Siddur: 84-119; 422-424; 506-511, 702-708. Book Review Due.


May 9. Case Study: The Diaspora Synagogue
Fine, articles by Feldman and Rutgers.


May 16. elastic session


Final.